What's New

The Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation (NSHRF) is pleased to announce that its Executive Director, Innovation & Collaboration, Marli MacNeil, has joined the board of Crohn’s & Colitis Canada (CCC) for a three year term. MacNeil was one of three new directors elected this past weekend at CCC’s annual general meeting.

“Our contributions to the health research enterprise are often in the realm of brainpower,” said Krista Connell, Chief Executive Officer, NSHRF. “With Marli’s proven ability to create partnerships, and extensive professional network, Crohn’s & Colitis Canada is gaining a valuable member for their board.”

Crohn’s & Colitis Canada is the national, volunteer-based charity focused on finding cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and improving the lives of children and adults affected by these diseases. Founded 40 years ago by the parents of a young Crohn’s patient, CCC is one of the top two health charity funders of Crohn’s and colitis research in the world, investing over $88 million in research to date.

“I’m honoured to be joining the team at Crohn’s & Colitis Canada,” MacNeil said. “It’s a hard-working board that supports a top-notch staff, researchers and clinicians and hundreds of volunteers who are tackling a set of diseases that impact individuals, families and communities here in Nova Scotia and across the country.” MacNeil noted:

1 in every 150 Canadians is living with Crohn’s or colitis – a rate that ranks in the highest worldwide

Families new to Canada are developing Crohn’s and colitis for the first time – often within the first generation

The number of new cases of Crohn’s disease in Canadian children has almost doubled since 1995.

The Quick Strike concept provides member networks in the pan-Canadian SPOR Network with research funding to conduct rapid turn-around research studies that align with the research priorities identified by the member networks and their partners for the Quick Strike Projects.

All research teams interested in applying to the Quick Strike opportunity must be NS-PIHCI members and complete the NS-PIHCI Network Quick Strike Projects – Expression of Interest form. Completed forms and membership questions are to be sent to Jessica Nowlan, NS-PIHCI Coordinator at j.nowlan@dal.ca by Friday, October 23. These forms will be reviewed to ensure operational alignment with NS-PIHCI and its goals.

On July 15, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) announced its funding decisions for the 2014 Foundation Scheme 1st Live Pilot; it was disappointing to see no Nova Scotian researchers were listed as funded.

It is my understanding that further announcements may be forthcoming regarding the competition including potential bridge funding awards and we are working to better understand the results.

While I am deeply concerned, we anticipated CIHR funding reforms would affect health research in Nova Scotia and recently developed two programs to ensure we understand the impact. The CIHR Reform Assessment Impact Group (CRAIG, click here for more info) and the Research Enhancement Program (REP, click here for more info) will work to ensure that our research community is competitive at the national level.

Be assured that the NSHRF is working hard on your behalf and we will be communicating with you further in the coming weeks and months.

The Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation is hosting a national competition for The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in order to identify two Evidence Review Synthesis Centres (ERSC). The Centres will be expected to produce systematic reviews in order to support the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (Task Force) guidelines and recommendations.

Up to two (2) ERSCs will be funded through this competition. Each ERSC will be provided with a core operating budget of $100,000 per year, for two years. Additional funding is tied to the deliverables which would be assigned to each Centre based on expertise and ability (up to $115,000 per review; up to $40,000 per guideline update). The selected ERSCs will be funded for an initial period of 2 years. At the discretion of PHAC and the Task Force, a renewal may be offered ranging from 1-3 years.

Applications will be accepted until Friday, August 21, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. (AST)